Manfred Davidmann

Manfred Davidmann is an internationally well-known and respected scientist and consultant, and author of a number of books and reports which have had and are having considerable impact. His work usually breaks new ground and opens up new understanding and is written in meaningful and easily understood language. Outstanding is that his work is generally accepted as factual, objective and unbiased.

More than 6 million copies of his reports have been downloaded from the Solhaam website so far and have changed the way in which people live, think and behave.

Theme:

Reading, Interpreting, Translating of Ancient Consonantal Texts like the Bible or the Koran.

The first step towards understanding the content of the Bible is to understand how recorded letters and symbols were used to state the meaning of words. Such knowledge and understanding is particularly important when considering what scholars and clerics have done and are doing when they are 'interpreting' the text of the Bible.

Just why there has been so much confusion about reading, interpreting and translating of consonantal texts (like the Bible) can be seen from the following definitions:

'Consonant'

A letter of the alphabet other than a vowel

'Reading'

Choosing between likely words which fit
the written groups of consonants while allowing for the likely meaning of the sentence or verse in which they appear.

Interpretation attempts to suggest or provide meaning where the text itself is unclear, ambiguous, seems to have none.

'Reading' and 'interpreting' are closely interconnected since choice of words determines the meaning of the sentence, of the text.

Translating scholars, working from a consonantal text (no vowels), had to 'read' the text. That is, they had to decide between, or choose from, alternative meanings for given groups of letters (words), considering and selecting the most likely meaning of the sentence (interpretation).

Of course, they could only 'read' and 'interpret' the text, could only select a 'most likely' meaning, within their own knowledge and understanding. That is, within the knowledge and understanding available to them at that time, at the time of translation.

When the word "ereb" was taken to mean "evening", and the word "boker" was taken to mean "morning", then the phrase at the end of each stage of creation in Genesis could be interpreted to mean "there was evening and there was morning, one day." A reading and interpretation which corresponded to the knowledge and understanding of those doing the translating in those times. The knowledge needed for understanding Genesis was simply not available at time of translation.

But the 'word' ereb, said Manfred Davidmann, can mean "evening," or else "to mingle," or "not to distinguish between them." Likewise, the 'word' boker can mean "morning," or "to search," "to examine," and possibly "to check carefully." The statement about evening and morning, then, can just as easily be translated as

"there was a mingling and a uniformity and a searching for differences and an examination of differences"

- a clear statement of the process of evolutionary advance which, said Manfred Davidmann, is both valid and relevant considering our understanding of Genesis and our present scientific knowledge.

The first step towards understanding the intent and substance of God's (Allah's) revelations as expressed by Mohammed's teachings, is to gain knowledge about the then developing Arabic written language, that is to understand how recorded letters and symbols were used to state the meaning of words, and about the dialects of the time.

Such knowledge and understanding is particularly important when considering how the Koran was assembled and what scholars and clerics have done and are doing when they are 'interpreting' the text of the Koran.

Conflicts have arisen because parts of Genesis have been mistranslated or misinterpreted.

The 'Creationism' hypothesis apparently assumes that the resulting erroneous text correctly states God's deeds. And the 'Intelligent Design' hypothesis apparently assumes that the same erroneous text correctly states the deeds of some other supernatural being.

Manfred Davidmann's research and discoveries showed and proved that the source text of Genesis corresponds in the major steps to the order in which the earth and life are known to have been formed and developed. Described is the formation of the earth and early plant life, and evolution by the 'survival of the fittest'. The evolution from reptilian to mammalian instincts, feelings and behaviour is clearly stated, as is the evolution and corresponding behaviour, feeling and thinking of human beings from humanoids (animals resembling humans) through Homo erectus (early man) to Homo sapiens (human beings, ourselves).

There is no conflict or contradiction between what is recorded in the source Genesis text and our scientific knowledge about evolution of human beings and of our planet.